Fragmented
by AnimeXLovers
Summary: Why? She just appeared one day and before I knew it... they replaced me... and yet I was willing to sacrifice everything for them... they discarded me... as if I'm a fragmented glass figurine... If only I can sleep forever and never wake up... that way I could be with the one who stayed with me, accepted me and understood me... (I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT)
1. Prologue

**Ai-chan: *waves* hiya people! Long time no see! I've been really disappointed these days... *frowns* nobody has been reviewing my crossover... should I just abandon it? Well anyway, I do not own Ghost Hunt of course seeing that this manga / anime series started when I was just a teenie winnie lil' girl.**

_Italic - thoughts_

_**Bold & Italic - dream **_

**Prologue**

**Mai's POV**

Dear diary,

It's been quite some time since Naru left; a little bit over a year to be exact. Since he, who had left me with shattered heart, left, I haven't been to another case. Thus, I was able to improve my grades and was now the top student at my grade. That's the reason to why I haven't write in you since that case which I succeeded for the first time in my spirit hunting career.

As you can see, I'm not actually stupid. It just seemed so because I enquired about paranormal things which I had never learned before. Damn that narcissist yeah... Though you already know about this... Hehehe... after all, you are my best friend.

You know what? I've confessed to him! And do you know what he said? Well he asked me actually... "Do you love me or Gene?" Like what the heck?! (o.O)?! Then he left me there... he really is a jerk. No scratch that... he's a bastard!

I am sure that I love him! While I know that Gene is sweet but I love him as a brother. I knew that they're different... it's just that... yeah... *sigh* have I told you that Gene hasn't left? He still visits me in my dreams and I could say that he's a really sweet brother... my feelings for Naru is still as strong as ever but I fear that I may be developing some feelings for Gene as well... my life sure is troublesome...

Well anyway, I've been meeting up with the SPR irregulars. Bou-san is still a monk slash bass player. Ayako-chan has started working full time at the hospital. John is still a priest and Masako is still in the TV show business. Yasu is in a university overseas. All in all, we're all quite busy nowadays. They haven't changed that much unlike me.

My powers have been developing but I can now control them better. It turns out that I have PK-ST. I can move static object with it though I would get drained when I tried to move something really heavy like a car or things like that.

Oh yeah! John and Masako are now a couple same for Ayako and Bou-san. I forgot to tell you that according to Masako, Naru is coming back to Japan in 3 days. *squeal* I really can't wait! I should sleep now. I don't want to be late tomorrow. Write to you soon.

Signing off,

Taniyama Mai

* * *

I closed my diary locked it again with a 'click'. I climbed into my bed and held the diary against my chest. I sighed in bliss at the thought of the SPR becoming one again. Since he left, we're somewhat scattered all over. Hopefully... I would be able to confess my actual feelings again. Last time I did, he left me in a dilemma. However, I am now confident that I won't be the same again.

Oh! I haven't introduce myself have I? My oh my... please pardon my forgetfulness. My name is Taniyama Mai, a second year high school student. I'm turning 18 soon, this July to be exact. I also worked at SPR (Shibuya Psychic Research). We hunt ghost and investigate paranormal incidents.

It was really funny now that I think about how I first met Naru (AKA Shibuya Kazuya, the CEO of the business.) I ventured into an old school and accidentally knocked one of the bookshelves when Naru's assistant, Lin Koujo, startled me. Lin-san shielded me and ended up getting injured. I worked for Naru to pay for the expenses which I caused. I broke the camera and injured the Lin-san so I accepted. Little did I know the camera was insured... he's a bastard yeah...

Naru and Lin-san came to my school to solve the case of the 'haunted' school. In the end, all end well and days later Naru contacted me, offering a part time job at SPR. At that time, I've already developed a crush on Naru which now has bloomed into love. I also met the most of the irregulars at the first case.

They are:

Matsuzaki Ayako - a Shinto priestess

Takigawa Houshou (also known as Bou-san) - a monk from Mount Koya slash a bass player in a band

John Brown - a Catholic priest from Australia

Hara Masako - a TV spirit medium

Yasu or Shounen joined us after our case at his school. He was actually our client. His full name is Osamu Yasuhara. He's a very funny and slightly queer guy. He's also our researcher.

We had lots of cases after that but at our last case, Naru's secrets were revealed. It turned out that he is Oliver Davis, a very strong psychic and a genius scientist. He came to Japan to find twin's body, Eugene Davis Gene was involved in a hit-and-run incident and his body was dumped into a lake. On my first case, I also met Gene who became my spirit guide. Last year, we found the lake and retrieved the body. Immediately after that, Naru left to bury his brother's body.

Somewhere along our cases, we found out that I had an animal-like instinct and am a latent psychic. Now I have both ESP and PK which is really rare in the paranormal society. Bou-san helped me to find a teacher to train with. I trained with a monk from the temple he came from and despite only training for a month and a half, I managed to grasp the concept easily and am quite skilled in it. They say that could even rival Oliver Davis given half a year or so training every day. That's saying a lot since Naru is a prodigy. I supposed I've introduced myself quite well. I don't think I've left anything out.

Back to reality, I took a bath, ate breakfast etc and left to the airport. Today is Sunday so I got no school. Naru is arriving soon at 10 and it's already 8.30 now. Cool spring breeze swept over me as I ran full speed to the bus stop.

The bus is filled with couples today. Well, it's not a rare sight on Sunday which is also the reason why I really don't like riding the bus on Sundays. It makes me feel bitter. It's like they're mocking me as I was rejected.

However, today is different. I didn't feel that bitter feeling that I used to feel. I'm feeling all giddy today. I really can't wait to see him again. I soon arrived at the airport and rushed toward the arrival section.

"Yo Mai-chan!" A familiar voice called out. I whirled around and waved energetically at Bou-san and Ayako. With a grin from ear to ear, I shouted, "Bou-san! Ayako-chan!"

All of a sudden, a pair of hands taps me on the shoulder. I would have jumped and shrieked in fright had I been my younger self though since I've awaken more of my psychic abilities, I developed an affinity to sensing people.

So, instead of shouting, I turned around and punched the person. "Yikes! Easy Mai-chan!" the person exclaimed. I paused in mid motion and blinked in confusion. Slowly, realization dawned on me and I broke out into a smile. "Yasu! Long time no see! Why didn't you tell me that you're coming today?"

Yasu didn't change that much. I think he only got a little teenie tiny bit taller. Well maybe… Behind him I say another familiar couple. "John! Masako-chan! Over here!" I called out in glee.

"Mai-chan," they greeted in unison. I gave Masako a brief hug but tight hug. "Good luck… I didn't get him, not that I don't love John, but hopefully you'll get him," Masako whispered behind her kimono sleeve. She hasn't really changed except for being less bitchy.

"Oh look! There's Lin! Ooooiii! Lin! Over here!" Bou-san pointed out. True to his word, I say two familiar mop of black. Lin is still as tall as ever, compared to me anyway, and Naru… he's lost his previous baby fat and a few inches taller I think. He looked much more mature.

An indescribable feeling of pure joy erupted in my heart as my eyes landed on him. He's staring at something with… love? The thing, no person, is a woman with silver hair, an albino, matched with an alluring pair of violet orbs.

_No…_

Naru and Lin nodded at us and the woman detached herself from Naru's arm and bowed deeply at us. She introduced herself in a light cheerful voice, "Hello! My name is Amarantine Levesque! My Japanese name is Shimizu Aika. Though you can just call me Aika, I don't really like formalities. It's nice to meet you!"

"She's your girlfriend Naru?" Ayako enquired in a hostile voice.

_No… please… no…_

"No she's not," Naru replied.

I let out a sigh of relief.

_Thank goodness…_

"She's my fiancée," Naru finished.

**Ai-chan: Well... that's short... but it's the prologue so it doesn't matter, right? Yes, so please do me a favour and give me reviews will ya? They're my food and motivation.**

**So let me get this straight first. I am assuming that the first case, which Mai first met Naru in, was on April or somewhere during spring if I am not mistaken, there are some cherry blossoms at the beginning of the series.**

**At that time, Mai is 15 and a first year high school student. The ghost series end at somewhere in March where Naru found Gene. Mai is already 16 by then. One year time skip and now we have Mai a 17 years old, second year student. I don't really know that much about the Japanese school system so this is all my assumption.**

**Another thing, you may think that Mai is gaining her powers too quickly and may seem to be Mary Sue-ic but I trust you, I'm going to play with her character and make her have flaws. Suicide tendencies are flaws right? Oh wait... bad... bad... I'm spilling out my plans... I suppose that is all... don't forget to review! ≧****﹏≦**


	2. Case I: Kurutta Shinigami I

**Ai-chan: Yo, my lovely readers! I'm back~! I suppose I'm quite satisfied with the little amount but all wonderful reviews. Well… last chapter was quite short… I hope it satisfied you all. I had planned two cases… though I don't think I'll be able to update quickly unlike when I first started typing fanfictions… hopefully I'll be able to update weekly… Well, without further ado, I present you the 2****nd**** chapter of 'Fragmented'.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT… **

**I really hate disclaimers… after all, if we authors do own the actual anime or manga, the fanfiction won't be there… it'll be part of the original storyline.**

_Italic – Thoughts_

_**Bold + Italic – Dreams / In Astral Plane**_

**Case I: ****狂った死神**

**Gene's POV**

_**I stroke her soft silky hair as her head laid on my lap. Foxfires are floating all around us. I stared at the woman in front of me. She has grown even more beautiful since I first met her. She has developed a firm and quite large chest. I know this from well… accidentally peeking on her when she's bathing. I chuckled at the memory.**_

_FLASHBACK_

"_Hi Mai! What's up?" I greeted as I appeared in a full body mirror only to have a comb being thrown at the mirror._

"_Gene…" she growled. "GET OUT!"_

_My eyes bulged out when I noticed her unclothed state. Water dripped from her hair onto her pale mounts of flesh. My eyes threatened to look down but I quickly averted it._

"_EUGENE A. J. DAVIS! I TOLD YOU TO GET YOUR FUCKING SELF AWAY!" she shouted again. Things began to float around as her PK grows out of control. Hair whipping around and her naked figure glowing a faint blue, she resembles a furious goddess. _

"_I'm sorry!" With that, I left._

_FLASHBACK ENDS_

_**She has grown her hair out and now it reached her mid-back. She had developed an hourglass figure and became much more mature. The young women no longer trips over her two legs and has become graceful. I grew more and more in love with her every passing second that I think my heart will burst.**_

_**My heart clenched painfully at the fact that my younger twin held her heart in his grasp.**__It's better that way… now if only he returned her love…__** I gritted my teeth when I remembered today's event. **_

_I can't believe him… that idiot scientist… I thought you loved her… why Noll?!_ _**I focused my attention back on Mai. Her eyes lost its light. They used to bear a resemblance to caramel orbs but now no more. **_

**Mai's POV**

_FLASHBACK_

_I blinked once, twice then thrice as realization dawned on me._

_He… got… a… fiancé?_

"_Fiancé, Naru-bou? Well, I could say that she is pretty. Really gorgeous in fact," Bou-san commented with a frown marring his features. We began walking though I lingered behind._

"_Are you okay, Mai-chan?" Masako enquired with worry._

"_I don't know… to be frank, I don't know what to do anymore now…" was what I wanted to say but… instead I plastered a fake smile and nodded, "I'm fine. After all, there are more men out there. He's just not my match. Maybe I might find one even kinder than him and I'll love him even more. It's just a crush Masako-chan, you don't have to worry."_

_I felt repulsed at my blatant lie. The chance of me finding another guy whom I loved as much as Naru is really small. It is border lining impossible or may even already be impossible._

_Why?_

_I could see that Masako didn't believe my lie. Opening her mouth, she began to say something before Yasu called us, "Come on, Mai-chan, Masako-chan! Hurry up or you'll be left behind!" My fake smile stretches even wider as I exclaimed, "Come on Masako-chan!"_

_I spent the whole walk to the parking lot staring at Aika who is chatting animatedly with Naru who is replying calmly. If you squint really hard, you could see a small smile on his refined feature._

_What is it that she has which I don't have?_

_I almost snorted out loud at the ridicules question._

_Stupid me… she's beautiful and she seems to come from a rich family…_

_As soon as we arrived at the parking lot, Naru turned around and informed, "We're departing at 8 so be at the office 30 minutes before 8. Do not be late. I will brief you on the case tomorrow. Pack enough for 2 weeks. That is all. Once again, I repeat. Do NOT be late."_

_He directed the last statement at me in which I nodded in response._

_FLASHBACK ENDS_

"_**Mai," Gene began; halting my train of thoughts.**_

"_**Hm?" I hummed in response.**_

"_**Are you alright?"**_

"_**I am."**_

"… _**Please don't lie to me…"**_

"…"

"_**Mai?"**_

"…"

_**I hesitated to answer and at that moment, I felt the dams holding back my emotions began to crack.**_

"_**Mai, do you not trust me?"**_

"_**I…"**_

_**They all smashed at the same time and tears began leaking out of my eye. Not long after, I cried openly. I felt his arms embracing me as I sobbed into his shirt.**_

"_**Why?! WHY?! I thought I still had a chance. I thought it's not a lost cause. Why?" I asked none in particular. I let out a shout which conveyed all of the feelings I'm experiencing right now.**_

_**Love;**_

_**Regret;**_

_**Betrayal;**_

_**Hopelessness;**_

_**Sorrow; and the strongest**_

_**Pain.**_

_**I felt the crush which had turned into love; regret in not replying that day; betrayed that he had moved on; hopeless that I had lost my chance at getting my first love; sorrow that I am not good enough for me; and pain for seeing another with him.**_

_**Soon, my sobs subsided into barely audible whimpers. "Why Gene…? It hurts so much…" I whimpered.**_

"_**He's a fool, Mai. You are an amazing woman. You are beautiful, smart, kind and caring," he replied.**_

_**Although I know that those are lies, my heart soared in delight. I am not any of those he had said. "Thank you Gene… I'm glad that I have you… you're the only one who understands…" I mumbled. **_

"_**You have to wake up now or else you'll be late," he reminded. I nodded before reluctantly disappearing in a blink of an eye back to the real world.**_

I arrived at the headquarters a quarter past 7 and found Naru, Lin and Aika already there. I greeted them good morning before proceeding to help Lin load the equipment into the van.

"Hello, your name is Mai right?" a voice enquired beside me. I glanced next to me to see Aika smiling at me brightly. Bitter hate began seeping into my heart whereas I smiled back at her; smiled a fake smile again.

"Yep, nice to meet you Shimizu-san," I greeted with a dip of my head. She waved her hands as her face turn crimson. "Ah, ah, don't call me that. I don't like formalities. Please just call me Aika," she corrected.

"My apologies, Aika-san," I apologized. She frowned at me but still nodded, "I suppose that's alright but I'm not that accustomed to having a –san after my name… can I call you Mai-chan?"

"If you want to…"

I worked in silence as she stood next to me helping me before she decided to break the silence. "I…" she began though she stopped.

"You?" I enquired with a tilt of my head.

"Nothing…"

"No, no, just say it. I don't mind," I continued.

"Well… I heard… from Noll… that you confessed… to him… yeah…"

"Oh… that…" The pain which has dulled a little bit came back again at full force.

"I'm… sorry… I hadn't meant to steal him from you… It wasn't fair for you… you met him first after all…"

"It's… okay…"

The silence turned very awkward however the hatred I felt started seeping away. How could I hate her just because he chose her over me? She's so kind and sincere. I'm glad for Naru. He finally found someone. I should be happy if he is happy…

"Aika-chan… just one thing…" I began as she started walking back to the headquarters.

"Yes?"

"I wasn't able to make him happy… take care of him… make him happy…"

"I will," she solemnly swore before heading away.

The irregulars have all arrive and Naru is briefing us on the mission.

"A few days ago, I received this case which will be at the Yoshitsugu mansion. Yoshitsugu Maria and Keizo sent a request.

The elder sibling, Maria, has been having nightmares. It is always the same nightmare in which a figure cloaked in black with a scythe stood there and taunted her. The younger sibling, Keizo, has been pushed down the stairs thrice nevertheless he only suffered mild injuries.

Things were knocked down or sliced into pieced. The strange this is that it appears that it had been sliced with something so sharp that the things were sliced smoothly.

Also, murders have happened. There have been 5 murders and all were killed in the same way: sliced into halves. Aika will be our main researcher as both Madoka and Yasuhara are busy.

Now, Mai and Aika will be riding in the van with Lin and I. Let us go."

All throughout the briefing everybody was quite save for numerous gasps when he mentioned the murders. I walked behind Naru and Aika silently. As always, I fell asleep during the ride.

"_**Gene! Where are you?" I stood in the astral plane with no Gene in sight. My instinct told me that there's something wrong. As I looked around, I noticed that the usual foxfires aren't here. "Gene! This isn't funny! Get your ass here!" I bellowed.**_

_**Suddenly, a white death mask appeared. It seemed to be floating. My instincts screamed at me to run. I was about to do so when it pointed a yellowish bony finger at me and growled, "You'll be the first."**_

_**With that, a scythe was swung at me. My feet were rooted to the ground as my eyes bulged out in fear. My heartbeat increased in both speed and volume that I could hear it thumping in my ears. My mouth hung open in a silent scream. I can't find my voice. It's as if it has been taken away.**_

_**Time appeared to have slowed down. As the scythe approached me, I could see blotches of dried blood on its shiny surface. Seconds seem to have stretched out into minutes. I raised my arms in front of me to form a barrier from spiritual power. **_

_**The scythe clanged loud on my barrier and it began to push on my barrier. "You are strong… I'll definitely gain my powers back as soon as I consume your soul. I will retreat for now. Next time we meet, I'll consume that delectable soul of yours," the apparition cackled loudly before disappearing.**_

_**I released a long sigh relief as I collapsed to the ground. I noticed a foxfire floating toward me from my peripheral view. I stared at it as it began to take the form of Eugene. "Where have you been?" I enquired.**_

"_**It blocked me. Putting that aside, are you okay?" he enquired. I nodded though I began to feel uneasy by the look in his eyes. Despite what most think, Gene doesn't always show his emotions. His eyes showed his actual feelings. He is quite similar to Naru.**_

_**At the thought of Naru, my heart began to clench again. **__He is happy now Mai. He is happy with Aika. __**Unknown to me, Gene's eyes narrowed briefly at the sudden flash of pain in my eyes.**_

"_**Mai." I glanced up at Gene at the sound of my name and tilted my head in a questioning manner.**_

"_**This case is not a normal case. It will be very dangerous. Solve it as quickly as you can. Don't stay there more than 7 days and nights," he warned. "You need to fix the lock and hurry up for it had set its eyes on you. He is going to target you. Be safe and good luck." With that, he disappeared. **_

"_**Wait! Gene! What do you mean by that?" I asked but I was too late. He was gone already. I stood there surrounded by foxfires again.**_

**Ai-chan: So… that's longer than the previous one yeah… Well, I think foxfires are like spirits trapped and something of sort… please tell me if I'm wrong though… So that's the first part of the first case. I have planned 2 cases already… though I may take time to type the chapter.**

***sighs* these days I have been losing my will to write… I will try to update weekly. As in, I'll update every Monday. Well until my winter break ends that is… then I'll probably update once in 2 weeks.**

**So… what did I want to say again…? Oh yeah! Thanks for all the amazing reviews you all gave me; every one of you who reviewed. You know who you are.**

**Hitomisuko – Thank you once again for the information.**

**xSapphirexRosesxFanx – All will be revealed yeah! ^_^**

**Though I'm still a little bit disappointed by the little amount of reviews… hopefully it'll increase… But the amount of followers and favorites cheered me up immediately. Well I suppose that is all that I have to say… Oh and sorry for any grammar or spelling mistake or some sentences which doesn't make sense because I left some words behind… hehehe… it's a bad habit of mine… You know the drill. Type in the box below to review!**


	3. Case I: Kurutta Shinigami II

**Ai-chan: I'm back~ with a new chappie! Hopefully you all are going to like this… yeah… I'm not going to put anymore disclaimers… it's like it's rubbing the fact that I don't own ghost hunt yeah…**

_Italic – Thoughts_

**_Bold + Italic – Dreams / In Astral Plane_**

**Case I: 狂った死神**

**Mai's POV**

"-ai-chan!" A light voice, almost childlike, urged.

_Who? _

"Mai-chan!"

_Five more minutes… _

"Mai-chan! Wake up! We're here already!"

"Five minutes…" I mumbled incoherently.

"Mai-chan! Noll said that he is going to cut your paycheck if you don't wake up!"

My eyes snapped open and I sat up, bumping into someone's chin as a result. I recoiled at the pain and rubbed my forehead. "Ow… don't do that Mai-chan! That hurts…" Aika whined as she rubbed her sore chin. "Your forehead is really hard…"

I apologized immediately to which she just wave it off and said that she forgives me already. "Come on! Let's go! Naru is going to kill us both if we delay for any longer!" she joked.

_He'll only kill me… after all, you are his fiancée…_

That bitter thought surface along with the feeling of hate. "Mai-chan?" Aika enquired. "What's the matter? Are you angry?" she added. My head tilted up to face her before I shook it to both dismiss the thought and feeling and reply to her inquiry.

"Nope! I just thought about something… unpleasant," I replied. _Well it's the truth… _With that, we head toward Naru who is now conversing with two people, a man and a woman who both seem to be in their early 20s.

I took a look at the Chinese-styled mansion. It was really huge though not as big as the one during our case with Urado. It has a large garden and a fish pond not to mention, also a pool. All in all, it's quite a grand mansion.

"Here are my assistants. Taniyama Mai, a latent psychic," Naru introduced while indicating toward Lin and I. I bowed deeply toward the siblings, I presume.

The elder sibling, Yoshitsugu Maria, has long black hair styled in hime style and brown eyes while her younger brother has short spiky chocolate hair and matching brown eyes.

"That is our researcher and my fiancée, Shimizu Aika."

"Konnichiwa!" Aika bowed deeply and stood back straight with a smile from ear to ear whereas I kept my features blank save for a slight upward curve of my lips.

"Nice to meet you Lin-san, Shimizu-san and Taniyama-san. Now please follow us to your base," Maria said.

The base is quite large thought it isn't that surprising seeing the mansion. We were paired up despite having enough rooms for each of us. The reason for this is for our protection like for example and I quote, "Mai and Aika are prone of danger and they are both clumsy. If they are left to themselves, they'll probably kill themselves because of their clumsiness."

Aika protested loudly and began rambling furiously in German thus causing Naru to shut her up with a kiss. Bou-san whistled at that while Masako bristled in anger. John blushed at the public intimacy as Lin and I stayed stoic. Ayako frowned at that but kept silent.

My heart beat loudly and I wished that the earth could just swallow me up. _Why must he do it…? To spite me? _Aika blushed heavily and averted her gaze to the ground after punching her fiancé in the arm.

Back to the room arrangement, here are the pairings:

Naru and Lin

Bou-san and John

Ayako and Aika

Masako and I

After that, Naru began appointing us to do things. "Matsuzaki-san, you and Hara-san go and sense if there are any spirits. Bou-san and Brown-san, you go and take the temperatures. Mai, you assist Lin in assembling the equipments. Aika, you're coming with me."

Lin and I head out to assemble the equipments. We worked in comfortable silence. "Mai-san," Lin began. I glanced at him and asked, "Yeah?"

"How are you feeling?" he enquired. I raised an eyebrow at the sudden question.

"Ain't that quite sudden? Well I'm fine," I replied.

"Let me rephrase my question, how are you feeling about Naru and Aika?" he inquired.

"You know… I didn't expect you to be the type who asks these kinds of things," I avoided the topic. "What brought this up?"

"You haven't answered my question," he stated.

"You also haven't answered my question," I replied curtly. _Just drop the topic… _

Thankfully, he dropped the topic for the moment and we worked in silence. "You've changed…" he blurted calmly out of the blue.

"Same goes for you and you don't see me complaining, do you?" I shot back. _Why am I being so… _

I sighed and ran my free hand through my hair. "Sorry… I didn't slept very well last night… please pardon my horrible mood," I apologized. I sighed again before continuing, "Everybody changes… especially when they experienced others' death continuously…" I muttered the last bit to myself but it appears to me that I have said it too loud for Lin's immediately focused his attention on me.

"Experiencing deaths?" he repeated. I froze and decided that playing dumb is the best way. After Naru left, my power had grown and with it, I began experiencing deaths. During that year, I worked as a solo exorcist during the weekend and holidays. I took simply cases which only need the spirit to be purified or exorcised.

Experiencing other's death took a large toll on me. I began to lie and tell the SPR irregulars half-truths when they enquired as to why I have bags under my eyes. None of them notice the lie. I build a wall around myself which nobody knew. Only Gene knew when I'm lying or not.

"What do you mean Lin-san?" I asked, playing dumb. Lin narrowed his eye but as I expected, he didn't notice any lie and decided to drop the topic. "Nothing… I seem to have misheard it…" he replied.

_I wonder when I started lying and telling half-truths… _That question rang around my mind however I just shoved it to the back of my mind. Silence ensued and soon we reached the basement.

The basement is really eerie. It's dimly lit and quite large. As I soon as my feet touched the basement, a shiver ran upon my spine. My step faltered and I tripped. I laid there on the floor face down with eyes wide in fear.

"Let me have a taste of your blood… you sweet blood…" a voice uttered right into my ear. I felt a trickle of blood ran down from my cheek. "So sweet… and pure… and powerful… I felt half of my power returning… imagine the power I will get once I devour that soul of yours… upon this blood I bound your spirit to this land… let fear manifest in your soul! It'll make it even more delicious…"

Without my knowledge, I began to tremble. "Mai-san?" a hand land on my shoulder and I jumped in fright. I blinked and notice that I'm still standing and Lin is standing behind me.

"Lin-san…"

"What happened?"

"I… don't… I don't… know…"

Now that I think about it, the memory is blurring and I only remember feeling fear capture my being. I shook my head and trudged forward only to find something under my feet.

I knelt down and picked up the object. Bringing it up, I realized that it has an uncanny resemblance to myself. It wore the same colour and type of clothing save for the number 748 on the shirt. I flipped it and found the number 14 now. Both are printed in dark crimson.

"Lin-san… look what I found," I announced absentmindedly. The doll is soft and is of the same height as me. Now that I look at it, it even wore the same pair of shoes as me. It is smiling from ear to ear as in literally.

_Add some stitches on the edge of the smile and you have kuchisake onna… _

That thought brought a shiver to my spine and I dismissed it hurriedly. That horror still scared the shit out of me especially after my friend played that prank during Halloween before I first met the gang.

_Flashback_

_I walked back home after a project at a friend's house. The street is empty which is not shocking as it is already late. Suddenly, I notice a silhouette on the middle of the street. It was of a woman with long hair. As I neared her, I noticed a mask covering half of her face. _

_I ignored her and walked past her when she opened her mouth and enquired, "Am I pretty?"_

_I paused and tilted my head in confusion. __What brought that question up?__ Turning around, I nodded while saying 'yes'. She reached up and pulled the mask of. "Am I pretty now?" she enquired._

_Underneath her mask is her mouth. It was torn open with a slit from each corner of her mouth. My mouth fell open to emit a scream when a hand suddenly covered my mouth. _

"_Happy Halloween, Mai-chan!"_

_Flashback End_

They even recorded it and now that I re-watched it again, my face looked utterly hilarious. My eyes bulging out and my mouth hanging open with my pale face.

Back to reality, Lin took the doll from me and a frown formed on his face. "It's a doll of you… These numbers…" he muttered.

"Wow… it seems that you have fan Mai," Bou-san said jokingly as he inspect the doll.

"Fan… my foot…" I grumbled. The doll really is creepy particularly the mouth.

I felt like I've forgotten something and it is getting on my nerves. I knew that it is important but I just can't remember.

"I wonder what these numbers mean," Ayako enquired.

"Should I look it up now?" Aika enquired. I cocked my head in confusion before realization dawned on me. _Oh yeah… she's our researcher…_

"The faster we finish the case, the better," Naru replied without lifting his gaze from the file which he had been took out her laptop and began her research.

**Normal POV**

Down underneath the basement, inside a jug, a being shifted. It is bound with extremely thick chains. Slowly, one of the chains cracked and broke.

The being grinned and whispered, "Soon…"

**Ai-chan: Well that is shorter than the previous chapter… I just love cliffies… when I'm the one who put it there of course… please review… By the way, 'kuchisake onna' is a specter in Japan. It's also known as 'slit mouth woman'. **

**Although I know about the legend, I'm not going to tell you. Go look it up yourself. Last time it up was like years ago but the picture of the specter is like… creepy… **

**Anyway, review please! I lack reviews! I'm starving for reviews! I need motivation! **


	4. Case I: Kurutta Shinigami III

**Ai-chan: … School's starting soon… *pouts* me don't want to go to school… well without further ado, I present you the fourth chapter of 'Fragmented'.**

**DISCLAIMER = See previous chapter's first author note.**

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**Review Reply Corner:**

**uyay – here's more for you! ^_^ **

**AssailantAngel – Don't worry. I'm not planning to pair her with Naru either.**

**Guest reviewer 'Q' – Thanks for the compliment! **

**Guest reviewer 'chibichi' – Yeah I'm going to explain that later in the story.**

**Sh'lainn Blaze – Your English isn't that bad. I've read stories whose writers' have horrible English. Thanks for the reviews! They really motivate me! I wish you the best of luck in write your fanfiction!**

**CaramerlLover the 2****nd**** – I'm pleased that you like this. Here's the next chapter for you!**

**yukihime88 – Yay! I succeeded in making this scary! **

**Guest reviewer 'animeloverklhere' – Your review sure does motivates me! ^_^**

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**Thank you all for all the awesome reviews! **

_Italic – Thoughts_

_**Bold + Italic – Dreams / In Astral Plane**_

**Case I: 狂った死神**

**Mai's POV**

_**I wiped off the liquid off my hand as I inspected the symbol I've drawn. It has two triangles, one inverted and the other not, positioned on top of each other. A circle surrounded the two triangles. Characters of eastern origin were placed outside the circle. **_

_**As I chant the spell, the intricate design laid upon the floor glowed a dim red. Slowly, a figure steadily entered the room from the center of the symbol. It was hooded. Fear captured my being. The air was so thick with the being's spiritual presence. **_

_I have to get out…_

_**My heart sped up. I drew in short staccato intakes of oxygen. Sweat began pouring out and despite all of these, I kept on. I continued the incantation.**_

_No…_

_**Its head could now be seen. It wore a hood and its face was shrouded in darkness. I felt like an invisible hand is choking me. I gasped for air, silently pleading for it to let go. Suddenly, the pressure lightened but the foreboding feeling remained the same. No… it worsened.**_

_No… I have to get out… NO!_

I shot up on the bed all covered in sweat. My heart may break out of my rib cage any moment.

_Breathe in…_

_Breathe out…_

I repeated in my mind while doing said action. Soon, my heartbeat slowed down to its normal rate and I began to calm down. I glanced at the clock on the wall. 3:33 it read. The sun hasn't risen yet. I looked at the bed next to me and saw Masako sleeping soundly. I inwardly sighed in relief. _Masako didn't wake up… _

I am not in the mood to have someone asking me what had happened. I just want to calm down in this silence. I chuckled inaudibly. I used to hate the silence as it made me feel alone but that was before I met the SPR. Way before he left.

Now, I'm not alone anymore. At the very least, I have Gene accompanying me. I preferred silence much more than noise especially when sudden sounds could effortlessly cause me to jump in shock. I have grown paranoid because of spirits and other paranormal incidents.

Sometimes, I would wonder. Why hadn't Gene passed on to the other side? What if Gene finally passed on? What will happen to me? Will I be lonely again? I know that these are selfish of me but I just… don't want to be… alone again… After all, he understood me better than the rest of the SPR.

Well, back to reality, I let my body fell back to the soft bed. I snuggled into the blanket and allow the warmth and softness of the bed lull me to dream land. Not long after, I arrived at the astral plane with Gene waiting for me.

"_**Gene!" I exclaimed and threw my arms around him. At the sight of his face, fury began bubbling in me and I felt the urge to punch him.**_

_Flashback_

_His lips came crashing down on hers, interrupting her rant. There were various responses to this. Monk whistled; Masako bristled in anger; Ayako frowned; John blushed; Lin and I stayed stoic. Despite my calm uncaring exterior, I felt really bothered by the kiss._

_When they broke off the kiss, my brown eyes met Naru's for a split second before I tear my stare away. __I wish I could disappear…_

_Flashback Ends_

_**I remembered our latest encounter. **_

_Flashback_

**"**_Mai." I glanced up at Gene at the sound of my name and tilted my head in a questioning manner._

**"**_This case is not a normal case. It will be very dangerous. Solve it as quickly as you can. Don't stay there more than 7 days and nights," he warned. "You need to fix the lock and hurry up for it had set its eyes on you. He is going to target you. Be safe and good luck." With that, he disappeared._

**"**_Wait! Gene! What do you mean by that?" I asked but I was too late. He was gone already. I stood there surrounded by foxfires again._

_Flashback Ends_

_**Glowering, I delivered an uppercut to his chin. I crossed my arms and glared heatedly at the groaning man. **_

"_**What was that for?" Gene asked as he rubbed his sore jaw. "For someone as small like you, you sure pack a punch…"**_

"_**You came and left just as quickly last time. Mind explaining what you meant?" **_

_**The black clad man sat there in silence. He averted his eyes from me. I quirked my eyebrow and scowled in irritation. "I really don't get what's wrong with you… Every time there a case, you'll only give some cryptic clues… and when I asked you, you'll just smile or stay quiet. Is there some kind of rule or are you doing this on purpose?" I questioned. I really don't know what's going on with me. I felt really angry when I saw his face. **_

_**He gazed at me with an emotion which I can't describe. **__Is that pain? __**Though that look immediately disappeared before I could identify it. Gene sighed and run his hand through his dark locks. **_

"_**I'm your spirit guide Mai… not your information collector. I am trying to help you the best I can but as a spirit guide, there are several rules which I have to obey. One of which was to only guide people not tell them right away." He explained.**_

"_**Well even then it's not helping at all! It's better to not have you here rather than having you give me clues which only serve to give me a headache," I retorted without thinking. I froze in shock and clamped my hands over my mouth. My eyes became as wide as saucer plate.**_

_**Gene stared at me with his facial features void of emotions. "I see… then I will take my leave now," he uttered and left. I stared at the now empty space in resentment towards myself.**_

_What have I done?_

_**A stray tear fell from my eye. I hate myself. I felt angry at Naru. This has been building up since that day when he introduced his fiancée. I felt angry at him for choosing Aika over me. Why her? Why not me? Why didn't I reply that day? I sat there mulling over my thoughts.**_

_**At the back of my mind, I heard my name being called several times and my body being shaken lightly. **_

I woke up to Masako hovering above me with concern laced in her eyes. I felt something wet on my cheek and touched it. _Tears… _I realized.

"Are you okay Mai-chan? You were crying," Masako enquired. _Yes I can't see that… way to state the obvious._ I shove away the sarcastic response and nodded instead, not trusting my voice at the moment. I felt utterly depressed and I fear my voice would crack.

"It's… just an old memory…" I lied softly. Technically it does contain some memories albeit the fact that it's not that old. Fortunately, Masako bought my lie. Well… it's either that or she decided to ignore it but the chance of the latter is border-lining negative.

"You should get ready or the narcissistic jerk will cut your paycheck," Masako stated with a smile.

I mock gasped and enquired, "Is the HARA MASAKO, number one fan of Naru, insulting him? What a shocking revelation!"

"Yeah right… as if you don't do that as well," she retorted humorously.

"Touché…" I answered and we broke out into fits of giggles.

* * *

"Would you like some tea Mai-chan?" Aika enquired holding a tray with a teapot and cups.

"Sure, why not?" I replied. The tea smelled awesome. I leaned back on the couch and took a small sip before sighing in content. The taste is heavenly. "You make excellent tea Aika-chan," I complimented.

She blushed and stuttered, "N-No… not… re-really…"

"Aika, tea please," Naru asked, politely for once, without looking up from the file he's holding.

My jaw hit the floor. I whispered to Aika, "How did you make him say please? Even when I threatened to not make him tea, he won't do that before. He threatened to cut off my paycheck instead…"

_Flashback_

"_Mai tea!"_

"_Say 'please' first then I'll make you some," I replied._

"_I'll cut off your paycheck."_

"_I dare you."_

_That evening, when I received my paycheck, I noticed a note and my pay lesser than it should be. The note said: You dared me. _

_I stiffened and growled.__ Bastard…_

_Flashback Ends_

"Well… I wasn't his employee… and I really didn't make him any tea until he said it… not to mention, he can't threaten me so yeah…" she replied sheepishly.

_If… I had met him and wasn't his employee… would he choose me instead?_

I shook the 'if' away. _It would matter anyway. What's done is done. 'What if's won't affect it. Somehow… I'm thankful that I don't say my thought out loud now… it would have been awkward…_

"I see…" I responded with my mind trying to find a way to avert the topic. "Oh! By the way, have you found out what those numbers mean? Or are they just random numbers?"

"About that…" she paused and glanced at the doll at the corner of the room. Well it was supposed to be there. She lifted a finger and pointed to the now empty corner. "Oliver! The doll's not here…" she stated in horror.

"What?" Naru enquired.

I turned to the right and indeed the doll wasn't there. The couch I'm sitting on is positioned near the window. A little bit to the left of the window to be exact. The doll was placed on the corner to the right of the window.

I glanced around the room and up the ceiling. My brown orbs enlarged in terror. A shaky finger pointed at the ceiling, specifically the object.

**Ai-chan: And… CUT! *sigh* seriously… I don't know why I'm writing this… I think I may run into a writer's block… **

**There's lots of flashback here and Mai is angry because of Naru picking Aika as his fiancée… and she fought with Gene. I suppose Mai is quite OOC but try to put yourself in her shoes.**

**Her psychic power is increasing. She can see ghost everywhere. Oh shit… spoilers… well she did experienced death. Her heart was shattered when her first love found a fiancée and brought her with him. Being the selfless girl she is, she doesn't want to worry the SPR irregulars and kept to herself.**

**Also, yes I am making Aika act similar to Mai save for a few things here and there. I have a reason for that of course. It's what makes me start this story in the first place. I guess that's all. Well please give me reviews. They're the ones which kept me writing. **

**Once again, thank you for all the reviews! They motivated me! I'm really pleased with the amount of followers and favorites as well! So, till' next time! Toodles!**


	5. Case I: Kurutta Shinigami IV

**Ai-chan: I updated early this time since I'll be out of town on Monday and I may not have internet connection or even my laptop with me. I think I'll write a one-shot based of this story… on New Year… keyword maybe yeah… **

**I don't know much so I would appreciate it if someone could tell me about Japanese New Year Festivals like what they do, what kinds of games there are and then about going to the shrine as well. If I'm not mistaken, people would ring the bell and pray. Then, they might buy talisman or/and get fortunes. Did I get it right?**

**Well I think that'll get your attention…**

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**Review Reply Corner:**

**kairigurl08 – I hope it won't block me too… hopefully it won't… I hate writer's block… **

**AssailantAngel – She will move on. This I assure you. I do plan to pair her up with someone else.**

**yukihime88 – It'll be revealed sooner or later so be patient. ^^**

**Jem Juliette Jewels Jade – Here's the next chapter!**

**Guest reviewer 'Terri' – Well I hate cliff hangers too but it's fun to put… **

**Guest reviewer 'Guest' – Well here's the next chapter!**

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**Well… I suppose I'm kinda satisfied with the amount of reviews… though it could be better… but oh well. Thanks for reviewing either way! Enjoy!**

_Italic – Thoughts_

_**Bold + Italic – Dreams / In Astral Plane**_

Underline – Recording (Like scene recorded by the camera)

**Case I: ****狂った死神**

**Mai's POV**

I glanced around the room before looking up the ceiling pondering about the whereabouts of my lifeless look alike. Bou-san and John are going around taking temperature while Masako and Ayako are trying to sense any spirit. Lin is watching the monitor so only Naru, Aika and I are looking for the doll.

Said object's lifeless brown eyes stared down at me. It stuck on the ceiling as if there's super glue holding it on the ceiling.

I blinked once, twice and thrice before realization dawned on me. My chocolate orbs enlarged in terror. Lifting a shaky finger, I pointed at the ceiling, the object to be exact.

"Naru… I found the doll," I stated in a steady voice despite my racing heart and slightly shaking body. _I should get used to this already! I did solve my own cases after all! _The train of thoughts paused. _Actually, those weren't as scary as this… _

There are several noticeable changes on the doll. Firstly, it no longer wore the same clothing and instead, it wore my current clothing only with the numbers 748 and 14 on the front and back shirt respectively.

**[Ai-chan: … God damn it… I shouldn't be writing this at 12:54 AM… though I need to post this tomorrow… I mean today… oh well, sorry for interrupting]**

Secondly, the smile which once stretches from ear to ear, as in exactly from ear to ear, is now upside-down. It's frowning now. Last but definitely not the least, the most noticeable change to be exact is that, the head is now detached from the head.

"What doll Mai? There's nothing there…" Aika replied, tilting her head in confusion. "Mai, rather than fooling around, go and wake the other members," Naru ordered.

**[Ai-chan: This is not helping… I'm seriously going to have nightmares now… I wonder if I'm just a scaredy cat…]**

_How could they not see it? Am I hallucinating? _I tilted my head up and saw the doll there. I stared into its dead eye and saw its eyes glint in mischievousness. The body began to wiggle and drop onto the floor. It landed on its feet and began to make its way toward me.

It wrapped its hands around my throat and began choking me. Its hands had actually felt like real hands. I clawed at the hand while charging my PK into a ball and launched it at the doll. The body disintegrated into dust. The head floated in front of me and chuckled like a maniac.

**[Ai-chan: In case I got the name wrong, the Chucky I'm referring to is the killer doll if I'm not mistaken… it's been a long time since I watched that movie… and I'm not planning to watch or research about it soon… such creepy shit yeah…]**

Its high pitched laughter, which resembles Chucky from the horror movie Child's Play, rang around the room. I curled into a ball shielding my ears from the offending noise. It sneered and said, "Suffer! Suffer! I'll enjoy your soul! 1 down, 6 to go and I'll be free and almighty!"

I charged another ball of PK and planned to launch it when pain blossomed on my right cheek. I raised a hand to nurse my cheek as the sound of a slap was registered in my mind.

"What do you think you are doing Taniyama-san?" Naru questioned icily. I opened my mouth to reply but he cut me off, "From what I can see, you threw a BALL of PK to my FIANCEE and am planning to throw ANOTHER ONE at her."

I stared at him in confusion and replied, "I didn't attack her. I attacked the doll. See, the head is still there giggling." I pointed at the grinning head. I glanced at Aika and saw that she is still alive without a single scratch on her. "And Aika is fine there," I added.

Naru glared at me with so much hatred that I flinched before lifting me by my collar and shoved me onto the wall. "YOU CALL THAT FINE?!" he yelled. I scratched at his hand and stared at him in fear.

_What did I do wrong? I just exorcised the ghost… well partly… Aika is still okay there… Why is he acting like this? I… _I felt my throat constrict in fear. I've never seen Naru this furious before. _What did I do to make him this pissed off? _

"I'll have fun adding the seasoning to your soul, girl," the head disappeared. All of a sudden, my head started hurting like as if it's being skinned and poured salt over the wound.

The pain subsided as quickly as it came. "Noll! What are you doing?!" Lin exclaimed and removed Naru from me. Naru's glare was the scariest thing I ever seen. "She," he started, pointing a finger at me. "Attacked my fiancée," he finished venomously.

I shook my head rapidly. "I did not! Didn't you see the doll in ceiling just now?!" I denied. Naru growled and lunged at me. "Liar!" he sneered. Lin held him back and whispered something into his ear. I felt a wave of fatigue rushed over me due to the use of PK. I did use quite a lot today.

"Mai, come," Lin beckoned me toward the computer. He replayed the last few minutes. I stood behind the two men.

**[Ai-chan: Umm… some brief note. It might be confusing for some in the next few paragraphs… so it is still in Mai's POV but I'll use 'Mai' in the recording. The recordings are underlined.]**

"Naru… I found the doll," Mai said pointing at the ceiling. I glanced at the ceiling and saw nothing there. _What?! Impossible! _

"What doll Mai? There's nothing there…" Aika replied, tilting her head in confusion. "Mai, rather than fooling around, go and wake the other members," Naru ordered.

Mai didn't reply and stood still. "Mai, are you alright?" Aika enquired. Instead of replying, Mai threw a ball of PK at Aika. The albino was caught off guard. The orb of PK impacted Aika who was thrown across the room.

Naru rushed toward his fallen fiancée and picked her up bridal style before placing her on the couch. He turned around to see Mai prepare another sphere. "What do you think you are doing Taniyama-san?" Naru questioned icily. "From what I can see, you threw a BALL of PK to my FIANCEE and am planning to throw ANOTHER ONE at her."

Confusion could be seen written all over Mai's face and she replied, "I didn't attack her. I attacked the doll. See, the head is still there giggling and Aika is fine there."

I stare at Aika's unconscious form in the screen. I felt numb all over. I attacked her. How is that possible? The proof is there but I know that I'm not hallucinating. It was there. The doll taunted me and attacked me.

_I didn't lie… _

Their obsidian-colored eyes pierce into me.

_I didn't lie… _

"Yo! We're back! Why's everybody so tense?" Bou-san greeted as he entered the room along with John. "Why is Shimizu-san unconscious?" John enquired. "Why don't you see for yourself?" Naru snapped before sitting down on the couch. He lifted Aika's head and strokes her hair while trying to glare a hole through my being.

Bou-san and John were taken aback at Naru's harsh demeanor and turned to me. I avoided their questioning stares. My thoughts were all disordered and jumbled all over. I hate today.

First, I fought with Gene. Then, the spirit encountered me and while doing that, I accidentally attacked Aika and now, Naru is mad as hell. _I don't get it… that spirit placed an illusion on Naru and Aika… it must be strong…_

"I swear… I wasn't lying…" I mumbled almost inaudibly but it was heard by Bou-san and John who are watching the footage. I hadn't moved from my spot since we started the videotape the first time.

"Naru… don't you think that there's the possibility that the spirit could only be seen by Mai?" Bou-san enquired. "Doesn't change the fact that she attacked my fiancée," Naru retorted.

I wish I could retreat into my subconscious but that would make the irregulars worried so I can't. Again, I wish the ground could just swallow me up. "I'm sorry," I uttered quietly. Nobody said anything else until Ayako and Masako entered.

"Did you two found anything?" Naru asked.

The two women shook their head. Masako replied, "I still can't detect any spirit including those of the maids who passed away. It's the same as yesterday. Not a single presence."

"The temperatures are all normal too except for the basement which is slightly cooler but that is normal," John added. _Everything is normal…but that… specter… could it so powerful that it could masks its own presence? _

Suddenly, the door burst open. Maria and Keizo burst into the room. Their faces were pale and their breath came out in short raspy gasp. "Another…" Maria began. "Maid is killed."

**Ai-chan: It's short but oh well… I've fixed some of the mistake which I made in the previous chapters like the missing lines, underline or italic. Well either way, I hope you enjoy this one and review. Don't forget to review! **

**Oh and I think I may write a one shot… for New Year. Like a spin-off from this story… ****I don't know much so I would appreciate it if someone could tell me about Japanese New Year Festivals like what they do, what kinds of games there are and then about going to the shrine as well. If I'm not mistaken, people would ring the bell and pray. Then, they might buy talisman or/and get fortunes. Did I get it right?**

**So yeah… please PM or tell me from the review. If I get enough information, I may write the one shot. Well again, R&R.**


	6. Case I: Kurutta Shinigami V

**Ai-chan: Long time no see... School has started so I'll be updating slower… I almost didn't want to update because of this… I received too little reviews yeah… Anyway, I'll be updating once every two weeks now or once a month… I have to focus on my studies too. I'll try to update ASAP. Well, without any further ado, I present you the… [I don't remember what chapter this is so just insert the number] chapter of 'Fragmented'. Hope you enjoy.**

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**Review Reply Corner:**

**Guest reviewer 'guest101' – Well she will move on that I assure you. Also, about Naru, Aika is his precious person now. Sure he knows much about the paranormal world but he isn't a medium. An illusion was placed on either Mai or Naru and Aika. (I'll point out on who the illusion was casted on later on.) So when he saw his fiancée being attacked by Mai, all common sense was thrown out of the window and he did that to Mai. I hope this satisfied your question.**

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_Italic – Thoughts_

_**Bold + Italic – Dream/In astral realm**_

**Case I: ****狂った死神**

LAST TIME - Suddenly, the door burst open. Maria and Keizo burst into the room. Their faces were pale and their breath came out in short raspy gasp. "Another…" Maria began. "Maid is killed."

**Mai's POV**

I stared at the corpse as it was brought away. The maid was still in her early 20s and was quite beautiful too with dark hair and green eyes. Her body was cut diagonally in half from her right shoulder to her left hip. It was a grotesque sight and it happened in front of her fellow maid.

_I'm next… _That thought suddenly appeared in my mind. After the doll incident, I felt a sense of foreboding. It's just the second day we've been here and we've already have a death happening. The spirit is definitely going to be powerful.

_Naru is furious at me… not that it matters anymore now… he sure does love her… lucky girl…_

* * *

There was a knock on the door before a maid comes in. She was the only witness to the latest death. She was of average body built and has blonde hair placed in Chinese styled twin buns.

"I-I… heard from the mistress that you w-wanted to a-ask me about h-her…" she stuttered; her brown eyes reflecting fear and immense sorrow. "Yes, would you please take a seat?" Naru asked.

As soon as she sat, he began interrogating… erm… collecting information… from her. "Begin."

"W-Well… we were cleaning the west wing…" she started. _Well… that makes sense… we would have heard the scream if we're not in the east wing… _I leaned against the wall, standing beside Masako and kept my distance as far as possible from Naru and Aika. She still hadn't woken up. I've never really studied about the effects of PK on humans…

"I-It just happened s-suddenly… her b-body just…" With that, she burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. What she was going to say could be guessed easily…

I hesitated to near the maid. Swallowing the lump forming on my throat, I was about to comfort her but Ayako beat to the chase. I don't know what to feel now. My feelings are all jumbled up. Guilt, rage, empathy and grief mixed themselves up. The guilt from hurting the albino, albeit not on purpose, is the most prominent of them all.

_I thought… I thought… everything would have gone back to normal when HE came back…_

* * *

I stared at the monitor before sighing. I glanced out the window and at the evening sky. Streaks of red, pink, purple and yellow across the sky makes it looks like a painting. I barely register the sound of the door opening. I noted that Lin just came in in the back of my mind.

"Lin-san… why did he choose her?" I asked absentmindedly while twirling a strand of hair.

Silence ensued for a while before he replied in his baritone voice, "I suppose it is the fact that he saw the resemblance between you and her. When we went back to England, he somehow… missed you."

"Nah… not possible… Naru the cold hearted narcissist missing me? He rejected me already," I retorted.

"He what?" Lin exclaimed.

I stared at him in surprise. _He rarely loses his cool… no I don't think I've ever seen him lose his composure before today… _

"I confessed to him and he replied by asking him or Gene…" I trailed off. _And I didn't reply… I said I don't know… _I finished in my mind.

"Naru's parents were worried. They decided to arrange a marriage for him and paired him with Aika. Maybe 2 months or 3 after they met, they began to get closer."

_If only I could be in her place… _A shiver ran down my spine. I tensed with eyes darting all over trying to find something amiss. Out of my peripheral, I saw a white translucent figure. With that, everything went black.

"_**Hello young lady," a man seemingly in his late 60s greeted. His kind face contains wrinkles here and there. His brown hair is partially white.**_

"_**Hello…" I replied gingerly.**_

"_**Greetings, my name is Yoshitsugu Arata. Sorry for the sudden call. I need your help."**_

"_**You're Maria-san and Keizo-san's ancestor," I stated.**_

"_**Yes I am. I made a foolish mistake a long time ago… back when I was younger… the entity residing in my mansion is there because of me. Are you willing to help me? You're the only one who could do it."**_

_It would solve this case… but how do I know if he is lying? No… I don't think he is… _

_**I nodded and he smiled in relief.**_

* * *

Blinking wearily, I sat up on the couch. Memories of the encounter rushed into me.

_Flashback_

"_In order to make sure that it'll work, you cannot tell anybody."_

"_Why?"_

"_They may interfere with it… and may not agree with the plan. This is the only way to do it. You can't kill it. You need to lock it in a living prison."_

"_Oh…"_

_Flashback Ends_

"What happened?" I pretended.

"Mai! You're awake! Thank goodness!" Ayako exclaimed. "You were attacked by the spirit," she continued. "Aika had just woken up too. Naru said that she'll tell us what she has found out about this case."

As if on cue, the aforementioned pair entered the room. Aika seems fine with only hints of weary. Behind them, Bou-san and John entered. I averted my gaze from Aika's. I'm not ready to face her yet.

"Now that everyone is here, let us start," Naru began. "Aika."

"Right, this mansion was built several centuries ago by Yoshitsugu Arata. His mother was Chinese while his father was Japanese. A rare match I would say considering the history of the Chinese and Japanese.

He was one of the richest men in Japan and owned a large business. From what I've found, he had a rival named Hinoyama Raishi and both were very bitter against each other. One night, Raishi was found sliced up into pieces in his bedroom. The night after a beam of light could be seen from Yoshitsugu's mansion. Though Arata was suspected, nothing could be found.

After that, his business boomed. Later on he married a Chinese woman and passed at the age of 69 due to a heart attack. **(Ai-chan: Pause for a moment… I can't stop laughing at this… after an English lesson… I'll explain more later in the author note. Sorry for disturbing…) **After his passing, his wife moved back to China along with his children, two male and a female.

Nothing else happened after that… this mansion was pretty much abandoned until the siblings Maria and Keizo moved in five years ago. Nothing happened until last year. The first death took place a week before the siblings hired us," she paused.

"So… this Arata person may have summoned something to kill his rival. This is quite similar to Sakauchi-kun's case eh…" Bou-san mused.

"Yeah but it doesn't make sense. If it were the same case, Arata-san would have passed away not long after Raishi-san's death," Ayako added.

I kept my mouth shut all the time. I had already known everything. I just have to wait till night time. _Now that I think about it… this case would be relatively short… if I succeeded that is… _

"What do you think Mai?" Masako asked.

"Huh? Well, I'm not sure…" I lied.

_Tonight… tonight… this case will hopefully end…_

"Also... about the numbers on the doll...," Aika started, stopping the current discussion.

Guilt, which I have somewhat forgotten, came back at full force.

"14 and 748 right? Well 14 meant definite death... in Chinese, when you read it separately, it'll be "yao shi" which can also mean want to die. 748 is a number combination. If it is read separately, also in Chinese, and with the proper tone, it sounds like "qu shi ba" which means go and die. The proper pronunciation is "qi shi ba" by the way. That's all that I've found," she explained.

They all stared at me. _Target again... nothing rare... nothing new... not surprising at all._

* * *

"_**Mai… Please don't do this…"**_

"_**Why do you care? I said some mean things to you…"**_

"_**Because I-"**_

"_**I can't hear you. What did you say?"**_

_**Silence ensued.**_

"_**Taniyama-chan, it's time. You should wake up now."**_

* * *

**Ai-chan: Yo! So… I made Mai lie a lot eh? I'm really struggling to kept her in character… is the case too boring? I think I made it too short… I don't know what to put anymore… It's getting shorter… I'm not good at writing long stories… so, sorry yeah…**

**So back to the joke I planned to tell you. During English class, our topics are currently about freedom and North Korea. North Korea was ruled by a despot so his word is considered as law and he is considered as the good. The second ruler (I think…) was called Kim Joon Ill (I think that's his name…) and passed at the age of 69. The cause is heart attack due to mental and physical exhaustion. **

**Because of their horrible deeds, my teacher dislikes them. It's like when one leader died, women were brought out and told to line up on the streets and wail for their leader's death. Oh and they have a gun pointed at their heads. Sounds fun right? Right…**

**Back to Kim Joon Ill, I joked about him dying because of AIDS. You know... age 69... Yes… I know, I'm perverted… So the physical exhaustion is because of him fucking women. No offence intended to any North Koreans' who are reading this… or anybody else yeah…**

**Well then, there would be like one more chapter for this case… or maybe two before we proceed to the next. I may add a filler in between cases… depends on my mood… I'll try to add more romance in the later chapter. **

**So… what else do I want to add…? Oh yeah, I'll repeat my updating schedule. It'll be on Sundays and the fastest I can update is weekly and the slowest is monthly. Any longer and I would lose motivation for this… Yes, you read it right, I'm losing motivation for this and I may abandon this if I don't receive more reviews. Just anything… except for flames… unreasonable flames. I would really appreciate it if you would give me a constructive criticism.**

**Oh, last thing, I will put questions in chapter starting from this one. You're welcome to answer it or not. I'll answer the question in the next chapter.**

**Question of the Chapter:**

**What's your favorite anime and why?**

**Please review! Ciao!**


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